Evaluation of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography in the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma

• Published in: Kanzo Vol. 42; no. 10; pp. 528 - 535
• Main Authors: SUZUKI, Kunio, YAMADA, Yukinori, YAMAMOTO, Moritoshi, KURASHIGE, Nao, NISHIYAMA, Osamu, YOSHIHARA, Harumasa, MASUDA, Eiji, SHIRAHATA, Nobuhiro, ARAI, Keiichi, ITO, Toshifumi, KAMADA, Takenobu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: The Japan Society of Hepatology 2001
• ISSN: 0451-4203; 1881-3593
• DOI: 10.2957/kanzo.42.528

The authors evaluated the practical value of intravenous sonographic contrast agent, Levovist®, in the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by ultrasound. In the first study, 17 nodules of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were studied by power Doppler sonography. After Levovist® injection, the number of lesions with blood flow signal increased from 9 (52.9%) to 14 (82.4%). In the next study, a newly developed technique, contrast harmonic power Doppler (CHPD), was used. In 32 nodules of HCC, blood flow was detected in 30 (93.8%), while it was detected in 25 (78.1%) in dynamic-enhanced CT. HCC could be classified into two groups according to the blood flow pattern in CHPD; one was vascular pattern and the other was diffuse pattern. Tumors with vascular pattern were better differentiated in the histology compared with tumors with diffuse pattern (p=0.035). Ultrasound with the administration of Levovist® seemed to be a promising diagnostic modality for HCC.